The Next Descendant of Slytherin
by TheWordOfTheWise
Summary: On a rainy night, a baby that is bound to change the future is born. The lives of many people depend on the path he takes, and one of them is his own. Is he good or bad? What happened to his mother? But more important, who let Voldemort reproduce?
1. May the Angels Watch Over You

**A/N: I know that I mostly write Hinny stories (favorite ship) but this story was inspired by a roleplay session, and I just loved it. Anyways, apart from this I don't think that I'll write another ship than Harry/Ginny or maybe canon. Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does.**

A great of deal of screaming was coming from the inside of the little cottage by the forest. Then it stopped. A few seconds ticked by, in which the only thing that could be heard was the heavy rain and thunder, and then it started again. About half a minute later the screams stopped, then started again. This was repeated several times before it all went quiet. Right when a lightning bolt illuminated the skies and the earth, the small cry of a baby was heard.

Inside the cottage, a woman with brown hair and shocking blue eyes held a new-born to her chest. Her forehead was shinning with sweat in the dim candle light. Her cheeks were now wet with tears of joy and fear. The baby opened his little eyes to look at her, and she gasped.

She had expected for her baby to have the usual blue that most babies have when they're born, but they were just as blue as hers. She noticed, with some sadness, that this seemed to be the only trait that he had inherited from her. It was clear that, apart from that, this child was the exact replica of his father. There was no difference between them, except the age. She was thankful, though, that he looked like his father had looked before he became completely evil.

"What's his name?" A woman to her right side whispered.

"Jonas," the new mother replied.

"Are you going to go into hiding?" Her sister asked.

"No, he would find us anyways," she said while she began to breastfeed the newborn. "It's too risky. He already knows that I'm supposed to give birth sometime this week."

"Shall I inform him?"

"It's for the best."

Her sister moved towards the only window in the room, where an owl, as dark as the night, was perched. She conjured a piece of parchment with her wand and summoned a quill and some ink. She scribbled something and then tied the note to the owl's leg. She opened the window to let the owl out, and lingered there for a moment before closing it and returning to the side by her sister's bed.

"It is done," she whispered.

"Then all we have to do now is wait," the other woman said with a sigh, looking at her baby with a sad face.

* * *

"My Lord," a man whose face was covered with a mask said. "An owl has arrived for you."

"Bring me the note, Lucius," another said.

Lucius tore the letter from the owl and let it fly away from the open window. He strode fast to where his master was sitting and handed the parchment to him. He took it without hesitation and began to read. After a few seconds of silence, he looked up smiling a scary smile.

"I've received some good news, Lucius, but before you ask, no, I'm not going to share them with you," said Lord Voldemort.

**A/N: So, what do you think? R&R.**


	2. A Riddle and an Owl

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter**, **J.K Rowling does.**

Jonas Alex Riddle knew he was different than most people. For one thing, he was a wizard. And not the "trick and illusion" kind of wizard. He was a wizard who could do real magic. Although he couldn't pull a rabbit out of a hat, he _could_ do some pretty amazing things on accident. One time, he had lost his stuffed teddy bear and went to bed crying about it. The next morning, he woke up to find it in his arms. He knew what magic and accidental magic were, so he went running in to his mother's room, and told her everything that had happened.

"Mama, I did magic!" Jonas had screamed with joy in her ear.

"Really, Sweetie?" She asked. In response, Jonas nodded his head enthusiastically. "Well that's wonderful! Now, what exactly did you do?" Her tone wasn't disapproving, but excited.

"My teddy came to me!" said Jonas.

"Sir. Teddy came to you?"

"Yeah, I had lost it yesterday."

"Hmm, well Jonas, even though this are very good news, we've still got to eat," his mother said before proceeding to tickle Jonas and going to the kitchen.

But the little, happy Jonas Riddle was no more. He was now a ten year old, soon to be eleven, who did not have a trace of his old self anymore. He was a serious, judgmental, sulky, hot-tempered, very smart, boy. After his mother's disappearance, nothing had been the same.

The sudden change of attitude from his aunt didn't help much either. She would scold at him and tell him how useless he was sometimes; she thought him about how the muggles and muggle-borns were scum; she also talked a lot about how Slytherin was the noblest wizard of all, and that if he didn't make it into that house, she would be severely disappointed.

With time, Jonas had fallen into what she said and grew to hate muggles and muggle-borns. His aunt was always on her guard, and Jonas had yet to discover her soft point. What he _did_ find out about he, was that she had some sort of paranoid habit to look out of the window. When she thought Jonas wasn't looking, she would quickly and almost unnoticeably, take a peak to the outside world. This action drove Jonas out of his mind, for she would do it what seemed like every minute.

He was just thinking about the reasons why she would do that, when said person called his name.

"Jonas, I need to speak with you," she said loudly enough for Jonas to hear her, but with a soft tone. This surprised him, since she hadn't talked like that to him for a very long time.

Curious, he got up from his bed and began his way to the living room, where he thought his aunt's voice had come from. She was sitting in front of the fire, lost in her thoughts. While Jonas couldn't really say his aunt was really pretty, he couldn't say she was ugly. Her dark, wavy hair stopped right around was her heart was; she had a thin, oval face and big dark blue eyes; her lips were little, and she had a scar on her left cheek.

"Your birthday is tomorrow," his aunt said. It wasn't a question, just a mare statement. Jonas snapped his eyes from his aunt's scar to look at her eyes. "And in exactly three months from tomorrow, you'll be going to Hogwarts."

"Yes, Aunt Moritura," Jonas said although he didn't need to.

"I just need you to know that I don't care what house you get sorted in," she said with a very quiet voice.

"But-" Jonas began, wondering what had happened to his aunt.

"Jonas, there are some things I can't really explain right now, but I hope I get to in the future," she said really fast. She got up from her seat, pulled Jonas close to her, and began speaking in an even faster and urgent tone. "When you're a little bit older, I will explain, but for right now, I can't say anymore, Darling."

She stepped away from him and said in an annoying tone, "Now go to your room and play with your things or something, don't just stand there." She strode past him and went to the kitchen, leaving a very confused Jonas behind.

* * *

On the day of his birthday, Jonas was woken up by a light tap on the window. Feeling much happier than he had done in a long time, he jumped from bed and to let the owl in. He detached the letter from its leg with shaky fingers and gave it some water before opening his letter. Excited didn't feel like a word Jonas would use to describe what he was feeling. Overjoyed would be more like it. Slowly, he unfolded one of the parchments. It read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of _WITCHCRAFT _and _WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

Dear Mr. Riddle,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Jonas finished reading and let out a breath he didn't know was holding. After all this time, he was finally going to Hogwarts. He couldn't believe it. He forced himself to look away from his acceptance letter, and pulled out another piece of parchment from the letter. This one, he noticed, was considerably larger.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_

by Miranda Goshawk

_A History of Magic_

by Bathilda Bagshot

_Magical Theory_

by Adalbert Waffling

_A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_

by Emeric Switch

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_

by Phyllida Spore

_Magical Drafts and Potions_

by Arsenius Jigger

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_

by Newt Scamander

_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_

by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS

ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK

Yours sincerely,

Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus

Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions.

"Having fun there?" A voice asked from the door.

Jonas turned around, surprised to see his aunt awake at the early hour it was. He nodded and silently passed her the letters. She took them and began to read them, casting a glance at Jonas window every once in a while. A small smile lingered on her lips, and after some minutes, she looked at Jonas.

"Seems like we are going to Diagon Alley," she said.


	3. Diagon Alley

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, J.K Rowling does.**

Jonas remembered all the times he had gone out of his house; after all, they weren't many. Before his mother had disappeared, she would have taken him out to a park not very far away. It had a children's playground, and a nice ice cream parlor nearby. On the hot summer days, his mother would take him there for a chocolate ice cream. He had tried to make friends on the playground, but failed, so instead, he just played around by himself. Those days were long gone, though.

His aunt never allowed him to go outside, and neither did she take him. One time, when she had run out of the house on an emergency, Jonas had found a way to unlock the back door. He sneaked out, happy to get some fresh air, and just stayed there until he heard the sound of his aunt's footsteps. She had never found out about that incident, but Jonas thought that she suspected something.

So now, he was getting his traveling cloak and with a grin on his face. He could not simply believe that he was going to Diagon Alley. He had thought that his aunt would be getting all of his stuff, with the exception of his wand. But he had not even considered the possibility of _him_ going along too. It was just too good to believe.

"Aunt Moritura," he called from his bedroom door.

"What is it?" She answered from the only other bedroom.

"Why are you taking me to Diagon Alley?" Jonas asked.

She came out of her room, looking a little bit healthier than she had done the night before. Or healthier than she had looked for years, really. She was standing taller and looking stronger; her wand was firmly in her hand, and her face looked younger. While Jonas admired her physical change, she moved close to him.

"Because it's your birthday, of course," she said softly.

"But you've never taken me out for my birthday," said Jonas.

"It's your eleventh birthday," she said with a mysterious smile. Jonas wanted to ask more, but she spoke first. "Jonas, that's all I'm saying for now."

"But-"

"No," Aunt Moritura said in a way that pointed the conversation was over. "Now, have you got all your stuff?"

Jonas nodded enthusiastically. He followed his aunt out of the door, and stepped into the warm air of the first of June. He admired the slightly yellow grass and the oak trees and pines next to his house. There were some bees flying near the grass; the sun was half way to its highest point; a slight breeze made the leaves of the trees move in a slow rhythm.

"I'm afraid we are going to have to take the Knight Bus," Aunt Moritura said.

What the Knight Bus was, Jonas could only deduce. He followed his aunt, who was now walking to the edge of the forest. She entered it without hesitation and merely glanced back to see if Jonas was still behind her. The trees were very close to each other, which made it difficult to walk. Jonas could feel something strange about the forest. It didn't smell like he thought it would. It smelled like spices, no, honey, only a little bit sweeter, like chocolate, but much more like perfume. He continued to smell deeper; it felt like he was trying to remember something.

Jonas was so distracted that he didn't even notice the trees beginning to clear out. It was only when his aunt nudged on the back of his head that he noticed he was standing in front of a dull, grey road. With the forest now forgotten, Jonas looked expectantly at his aunt.

"Okay, so, if a witch or wizard is in need of transport and hasn't got a broom, floo connection, or can't Apparate, you can always call the night bus. It's really just like a typical muggle bus, but it's triple-decker and goes incredibly fast.

"To call the Knight Bus, you have to raise your wand hand. Here, I'll let you try it," Aunt Moritura said.

Jonas raised his right hand, and not five seconds later and with BANG, a magnificent, purple three-decker bus was standing in front of them. A young guy dressed in a purple uniform hopped out of the bus and started talking loudly.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this morning. Where would you like to go?"

"Leaky Cauldron, please," Aunt Moritura said while taking out some money from the purse she had brought along.

"That'll be a galleon and five sickles," Stan said.

Aunt Moritura gave him the money and ushered Jonas in. The Knight Bus was crammed with mismatching chairs grouped haphazardly around the windows. They were not bolted down, Jonas noticed, for some of the chairs were lying on the ground. It seemed like the abrupt stop had thrown people out of their chairs, and here and there, some of them were still getting up. Jonas saw two free sits nearby and went to sit there, making sure to save a place for his aunt. While he was doing this, Aunt Moritura had gone to talk to Stan. A few moments later she joined Jonas.

"I just gave Stan a few extra coins so that he could take us next," she whispered to Jonas.

With another BANG, the Knight Bus was suddenly moving again. Jonas looked out of the window and saw a blur of colors rapidly moving. With every sharp turn the bus made, Jonas nearly fell of his chair. If it had not been for Aunt Moritura, he was sure he would have ended up on the floor for at least ten times. The different shades of greens were quickly passed, and now, Jonas was seeing the blurs of London city. Soon enough, the Knight Bus stopped once again (not without getting a few passengers out of their sits).

"Leaky Cauldron," Stan said.

Jonas and Aunt Moriture stood up and got off the bus. In front of them was a shabby-looking pub. As they entered the Leaky Cauldron, Jonas noticed that the muggles didn't seem to be able to see the pub. He made a mental note to ask his aunt about it later. The Leaky Cauldron was much bigger on the inside than what it looked like from the outside. There were several tables with many seats, and a lot of them were occupied. Aunt Moritura led him across the room to a door localized on the back.

"Anything I can help you with, ma'am?" The innkeeper asked her as they passed him.

"No thank you, just shopping for school supplies," Aunt Moritura replied without stopping. The innkeeper nodded and turned his attention to some costumers.

Aunt Moritura opened the back door and let Jonas pass before closing it behind her. They stood in a small, walled courtyard with nothing for the exception of a trash can and some weeds. Aunt Moritura got her wand from her pocket and tapped some bricks above the trash can. A small hole appeared and it grew wider until it became a large archway. Now, Jonas could see a magnificent street that twisted and turned out of sight.

"Wow," he said with admiration. His aunt smiled at him.

"Just the right word," said Aunt Moritura.

They started walking down the alley, Jonas turning his head at most of the shops. There were so many places that he could visit, and he didn't know where to start from. He got his list out and decided to get his things in the order they were. First, his uniform. He spotted a store with the name "Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions" in it and turned to look at his aunt.

"Aunt Moritura, can we go get my robes first?" Jonas asked.

"Sure," she said.

They entered the shop, and a little, smiling witch welcomed them.

"What can I help you with, dears?" She asked kindly.

"A Hogwarts uniform pack," Aunt Moritura said simply.

Madame Malkin nodded and led them to the fitting room. She slipped a robe on him and began working. A few minutes later, she removed the robe and went to get his uniform. After that, they paid and left the shop.

"What's next?" Aunt Moritura asked. Jonas looked at his list again.

"The books," he answered.

The rest of the shopping trip went without any complications, although Jonas did decide to get his wand at last. About two hours later, he and Aunt Moritura entered a shop called Ollivanders. Jonas heard the tinkling sound of a bell from somewhere in the depths of the store. There were dusty boxes neatly piled on shelves that went all the way to the shop. There was some kind of magic that made Jonas feel as though he was in some very special place.

"Good morning," said a soft voice.

Jonas looked at an old man that was walking towards him. He had some slightly protuberant eyes, and white puffy hair.

"Mr. Riddle, why, you look exactly like your father," Mr. Ollivander said.

"You knew my father?" Jonas asked.

He had never been told anything about his father. He remembered asking his mother once about it, but she had told him that he was too young to know who he was. A few years later, he had asked his aunt who his father was, but all he got in return was that he needed to clean his room. So obviously, Jonas was pretty interested to hear what Mr. Ollivander knew about him.

"Of course my dear boy," Mr. Ollivander said. He looked at Aunt Moritura, who, unknown to Jonas, was shaking her head really fast. Mr. Ollivander got the message and changed the theme quickly. "But that's not what you are here about, is it?"

He got out a measuring tape and asked, "What's your wand hand, Mr. Riddle?"

"My right one, sir," Jonas said.

"Hold your arm up, that's right, good." Mr. Ollivander started measuring various places, and then, leaving the tape to its own account, he moved towards the shelves and started looking for wands. Right when the magical tape was measuring his nostrils, Mr. Ollivender came back with an old box.

"That'll be enough," he said, and the tape rolled itself and fell to the floor. Mr. Ollivander picked it up and opened the box he was carrying. "Try this one, Mr. Riddle, twelve and a half inches, English Oak, dragon heartstrings."

Jonas picked the wand and gave it a wave. Nothing happened.

"Hmm, don't worry, don't worry," Mr. Ollivander said, and went to look for another wand, leaving the previous one on the counter. He came back moments later with another one. "Okay, this one is twelve inches, Alder, and its core, one again, came from a dragon."

Jonas did the same thing with this wand, and nothing came out of it.

"Well, I was sure that one would work, but that's fine," Ollivander said with a smile, "I like tricky costumers."

About half an hour later, Jonas's stomach was grumbling, and he still did not have a wand. He was tired and felt as though he had tried every single wand in the shop. He was about to ask his aunt if they could come back later, when Mr. Ollivander came back with a look of triumph on his face.

"Mr. Riddle, I think you ought to try this one," he said. "Twelve and a half inches, Hazel wood, dragon heartstrings, and unyielding."

Jonas took the wand, and instantly felt a surge of warmth and power spread over his fingers. He waved the wand and a huge ball of fire emitted from it. It exploded and a shower of sparks fells over the three people. Aunt Moritura clapped and Mr. Ollivander grinned while praising him.

"I think it is sure for us to say, that you will be a very powerful wizard someday, Mr. Riddle," Ollivander said with a lot of seriousness.

Aunt Moritura paid twelve galleons for the wand and took Jonas for an ice cream. After that, Jonas thought they were leaving, but his aunt actually entered a shop called Eeylops Owl Emporium. After making sure that Jonas had followed her in, she turned to him and said with a smile:

"Listen Jonas, I want to keep in contact with you, and I would prefer if you used your own owl than the school's, so, this is my birthday present."

"You're buying me an owl?" Jonas asked shocked.

"Yes, so get looking, 'cause we've still got to go home and eat."

Jonas did as he was told and started to look around the shop. There were so many owls; some where so little that Jonas was sure he could hold them in his hand with his fist close; others were as huge as an eagle. In the end, Jonas walked out of the shop with a grey owl with black spots.

Jonas and Aunt Moritura took the Knight Bus home, and, after some rough walking, finally got home. They had unpacked all the things and decided to organize them the next day. When Jonas was ready to go to sleep, Aunt Moritura wished him a happy birthday for the last time that day and gave him a kiss on his cheek. His aunt's strange behaving had been one of the things he last had on his mind. For, right before he shut his eyes, the only thought on his mind was that this had been his best birthday ever.


	4. The Ride to Hogwarts

**Disclaimer: I don't Harry Potter, J.K Rowling does. **

**AN: So sorry for how long it took me to upload this. I didn't have Internet. For four days. It was, truly, the worst four days in my life. But I promise that there will be another chapter by Saturday at most (I'll try to have another one by tomorrow).**

The first of September came quicker than Jonas could have imagined. He had packed all of his stuff in his brown truck; at the bottom were his cauldron and books; he had put his quills and bottles of ink inside the cauldron; on top of the cauldron and books, his telescope, crystal phials, brass scales, and rolls of parchment were carefully stacked; his school uniform was at the very top, so that he could put it on at the train.

Jonas woke his aunt at six o'clock sharp that day. He had woken up at four, but gave up on trying to fall asleep again and checked if he had not forgotten to put anything in his trunk. When he had gone over his list for the third time, Jonas decided to go wake up his aunt. He moved toward her room silently (which he was extremely talented at), and opened the door slowly. Just as he had imagined, Aunt Moritura was sound asleep.

"Aunt Moritura," Jonas said quietly. She didn't move. "Aunt Moritura," he said louder.

She stirred a bit, but did not do anything else. Jonas kept rising his voice until he was shouting. Aunt Moritura finally sat up, looking groggily at Jonas. She pressed the palms of her hands against her eyes and stretched. Aunt Moritura yawned and looked at Jonas with an annoyed expression.

"Why did you wake me at this hour?" she asked, irritated.

"It's the first of September, don't you know what this means?" Jonas said, raising an eyebrow at his aunt, clearly finding it amusing.

"Nope, so just tell me," Aunt Moritura said, ready to go back to sleep.

"I start Hogwarts today!" said Jonas. Aunt Moritura shot up straight looking surprised.

"Bloody hell, you should have said that immediately! Why did you let me make a fool of myself?" she said, jumping out of bed and starting to look for her muggle clothes.

"I just wanted to see if you really couldn't remember," said Jonas with a smile on his face. Aunt Moritura ignored him and shooed Jonas out of her room so that she could get dressed.

Four hours later, she and Jonas were walking through the forest, an even more difficult task than the last time, since they were dragging along the trunk now and Jonas's owl, Rogier. About ten minutes later, the grey road came into view, and Jonas quickly raised his right hand. With a familiar BANG, the Knight Bus stopped in front of them

"Welcome to the-" Stan Shunpike started, but Aunt Moritura cut him off.

"Skip the whole thing," she said, handing him a two galleons, "just take us to King Cross Station."

Stan took the money and stepped aside to let Jonas and Aunt Moritura clime in. After a shaky ride, they got off at King Cross and heaved Jonas's truck and Rogier onto a cart. Aunt Moritura and Jonas started to walk towards platform nine and three-quarters.

"Okay Jonas," she said when they were standing between platform nine and ten. "You know what to do. Run if you are a bit nervous."

Jonas nodded, took the cart from his aunt, and broke into a run. When he was almost there, he had a second to imagine what would happen if he crashed, before the muggle train station vanished, and in front of him appeared a red engine; the Hogwarts Express. He looked around and saw his aunt coming from the wall behind him. She put her hand on his back and smiled at him.

"It's great, isn't it?" she asked him, and a lost look on her eyes told Jonas that she was remembering her days at Hogwarts.

"Yeah," he said, looking back at the scarlet train. He was about to begin a new chapter in his life, he knew it, and couldn't wait to start.

Jonas looked around him, taking his surroundings for the first time since he had gotten there. Owl, cats, and toads were everywhere. Kids were greeting their friends, glad to see each other after a long summer. Some students were already in their uniforms or aboard the train. Parents were talking to their children, making sure nothing had been forgotten.

"Have you got all your stuff?" Aunt Moritura repeated every other guardian's words.

"Yes, I checked thrice." Jonas said patiently.

"You sure?" she asked, making Jonas roll his eyes. "Okay, okay, but if you forgot anything, just send me a note with Rogier and I'll send it back. Now, try not to get into too much trouble. You can pull a few pranks every now and then, and get in a duel once or twice. But I really don't want to get an owl from the head of your house every week."

"Don't worry, Aunt Moritura, I'll be fine," said Jonas. She gave him a sad smile before looking at her watch.

"Oh my, you better get on the train now, or there won't be any seats left," Aunt Moritura exclaimed. She gave him a hug and a kiss on his cheek, which he hastily wiped again.

Aunt Moritura helped Jonas lift his trunk and Rogier's cage onto the train. With a last hug, she stepped away from the Hogwarts Express. Jonas grabbed his trunk and owl, and proceeded to find a compartment. A few minutes later, he saw an empty one and entered it. He accommodated his stuff and looked out of the window. Jonas heard the sound of a whistle somewhere from the train, and saw the doors beginning to close. He looked back at his aunt, and waved at her as the train began to move.

"I'll see you at Christmas," she yelled at him so that he could hear her, "that is, if you decide to come," she added as an afterthought.

Jonas nodded and kept waving, until the train did a curve, and his aunt disappeared from view. He closed the window and sat down. After thirty minutes of looking out of the window, he decided that he might as well could do something useful, and got out one of his books. He had skimmed through all of them, but had never read them completely.

_Fantastic Beasts and Were to Find Them,_ Jonas read.

He was half-way through the book when he heard a knock on his compartment door. He saw an old lady with a trolley full of food. He got up and opened the door, looking at all the things she was selling.

"Anything off the trolley, dear?" she asked him kindly. Jonas nodded and went to get some money from his trunk.

"Hmm, four Cauldron Cakes, three Chocolate Frogs, a packet of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and a packet of Droobles," said Jonas. The trolley lady nodded and gave him his stuff.

"That'll be a galleon, two sickles, and five knuts," she said. Jonas handed her the money, closed the door, and sat down again.

He had just finished reading, when he heard another knock on the door. He opened the door again, wondering what it was this time. A small chubby boy was standing outside. Jonas remembered that he was a few meters away with an older lady on the train station.

"Sorry, but have you seen a toad at all?" he said with a tearful voice.

"No, sorry," Jonas said politely. The small boy nodded and left. About ten minutes later, he returned with a girl, who had very bushy hair, by his side.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," the girl said with a tone of authority.

"No, I haven't," said Jonas, a little bit annoyed.

The girl and Neville left, and Jonas closed the door. The rest of the ride went uneventful. From time to time, Jonas would look at the scenery outside of the train, and then go back to reading. About an hour after Neville's appearance, he put his uniform on and checked on Rogier. He had gotten through three of his books, when the train started slowing down. With his wand in his pocket, Jonas opened the door of the compartment and got out of the train.

"Firs' years! Firs' years follow me!" Jonas heard.

He and all the other first years found the source of the voice to be a giant man. He had huge and messy dark hair, his eyes were as equally black, but they looked kind. He was smiling at someone who Jonas couldn't see.

"C'mon, follow me – any more firs' years?" the giant man asked. "Mind yer step, now! Firs' year follow me!"

Jonas and the other first years followed the giant down a slippery, narrow path. Jonas couldn't see any starts above, and guessed that the trees were very close with each other. Neville, the toad-less boy, was next to Jonas, and he could hear him sniffing every now and then.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec, jus' round this bend here."

There was a large "Oooooh!" coming from almost everybody, and Jonas had to restrain himself from copying his classmates. The narrow path opened, and across a black lake, a huge castle stood. There were many towers, and the light coming from its windows made it a very beautiful sight.

Jonas saw a fleet of boats by the shore, and wondered if that was how they would be going to the castle.

"No more'n four a boat!" the giant man confirmed Jonas's suspicions.

The surface of the dark water waved as everyone settled themselves on the boats. Jonas got on the nearest one with a girl sitting next to him and two other boys behind him. He looked around him and saw that everyone was already sited; the giant man had a boat for himself.

"Everyone in?" the giant man said. "Right then – FORDWARD!"

The boats began to move, breaking the peaceful water with waves. Jonas couldn't help but wonder why his aunt had never told him about the boat ride. There was no noise at all except for the creaks of the boats every now and then. Everyone was staring at the castle with wide awe.

"Heads down!" the giant roared as they got close to the cliff. They went through a curtain of ivy that hid a secret entrance to an opening in the cliff face. The boats continued through a dark cave that seemed to go underneath the castle itself, and finally stopped at a floor of rocks and pebbles. Everyone climbed down of the boats and into the little hardboard.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" the giant asked Neville.

"Trevor!" shouted Neville with glee while grabbing the toad.

Jonas and the others followed the giant through a passageway, coming at last out into some wet, green grass and standing in front of the huge castle. They walked up some stone steps and crowded around a huge oak door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" said the giant. After Neville nodded, he raised a fist and knocked three times on the castle door.


	5. The Sorting Ceremony

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, J.K Rowling does.**

The door opened, casting light over all of them. A tall, stern-looking woman stood in front of them. She was wearing square glasses and emerald-green robes topped with what seemed to be a Scottish witch hat. Jonas hoped that she wouldn't be the head of his house.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said the giant.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I take them from here." Professor McGonagall opened the door more widely and stepped aside to let all the students in.

The entrance hall was much bigger than Jonas had thought would be. He was sure that if all the other first years were to line up side by side, there would still be plenty of space left. He looked up, not really making out the height of the ceiling.

They followed McGonagall through the castle. They past a doorway from which hundreds of voices could be heard, and Jonas was sure that everybody was already in there. McGonagall, however, did not stop, but led them to an empty chamber off the hall.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Jonas saw that her eyes were directed to Neville and then to a red haired boy; a boy next to the ginger tried to flatten his hair.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

She left the room, and instantly, everyone began whispering. Jonas would catch pieces of conversations like "-I better be in Ravenclaw-", or "-some sort of test-". Jonas, of course, knew how people got Sorted, and found this all very funny.

"What house do you want to be Sorted in?" a girl next to Jonas asked him. He realized it was the same girl that had sat next to him on the boats.

"Slytherin," Jonas responded without thinking twice.

"Oh," was all she could say before some people began screaming.

"What the-" Jonas said, looking for the source of the commotion.

About twenty pearly-white ghosts had entered the room, making most of the muggle-borns shriek with fear. One of them, a fat monk, was talking to the rest of the ghosts.

"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance —"

"My dear Friar," another one said, "haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost — I say, what are you all doing here?"

The ghost wearing ruffs and tights had suddenly noticed them. Nobody answered him.

"New students!" the Friar said with delight. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

Some people nodded.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" the Friar said. "My old house, you know."

Jonas was about to snort when McGonagall opened the door.

"Move along now," she said in a stern voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start.

"Now, form a line," she told them, "and follow me."

Jonas ended up behind a boy with blonde hair, walking through Hogwarts and admiring the portraits and paintings. In what seemed like no time, he was stepping into the Great Hall.

Jonas had never, even on his books, seen such a magnificent place. Hundreds of candles were floating above the tables. There were four large tables with golden plates and goblets shinning beautifully. At the other end of the Great Hall was another, smaller table in which the teachers sat. This table was facing the student body, just in case of trouble. McGonagall led them to the front. Hundreds of face, both from mortals and ghosts, were looking at them.

Jonas, in necessity of distracting himself, looked at the ceiling. For one second, he thought that he was staring at the sky. He vaguely remembered something from _Hogwarts, A History_ saying that the ceiling was enchanted to look just like the sky outside.

McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. She then put a wizard's hat on top of it. The hat looked very old and dirty; there were patches all over it and it had a slight rip near the brim. Suddenly, that rip opened wide and the Sorting Hat began to sing:

"_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_if you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The whole Great Hall burst into applause as the Sorting Hat finished his song. He bowed to each of the tables and then became still. McGonagall stepped in front of the first years with a long roll of parchment in hand.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A girl with blond pigtails stepped out of line shaking, put on the hat and sat down. The hat fell past her eyes, and it was only a moment before it opened its mouth and shouted:

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table to Jonas's right broke into applause as Hannah put the hat back on the stool and went to join them.

"Bones, Susan!" McGonagall called.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The Sorting Hat yelled again.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table second from the left clapped this time. The next kid went to Ravenclaw too, but a girl named Lavander Brown became the first Gryffindor, and the table on the far left began cheering.

"Bulstrode, Millicent!" became a Slytherin.

This went on with the usual cheering until one name was called.

"Potter, Harry!"

The Great Hall burst into whispers while people stood up to get a better view of The Boy Who Lived. A nervous-looking boy with very messy black hair and emerald-green eyes stepped out of the line.

Aunt Moritura had only mentioned the name "Harry Potter" once to Jonas. She had told him that she had somehow stopped a man who was only doing a right thing to this world. Although she had never gone into details, Jonas had managed to get more information on him by reading some of his aunt's books in secret. According to them, Harry Potter had actually defeated a dark wizard named "Lord Voldemort", who had tried to conquer the world. Nobody had been able to stop him, but when he tried to kill Harry Potter, the course had somehow bounced back and made him disappear instead and left Harry unharmed except for a lightning bolt-shaped scar.

Harry walked to the front and put the hat on. It had been about thirty seconds when the Sorting Hat opened its mouth and shouted,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table exploded into cheers, the loudest ones yet, and Jonas could make out two identical voices shouting, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Harry seemed relieved to be put into Gryffindor.

Jonas turned his attention back to the Sorting Hat, somehow not really interested on where Potter had been put. When the clapping had died down, McGonagall called "Riddle, Jonas!"

An old man in the middle of the teachers table was watching him with curiosity. Jonas recognized him as Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts.

He walked to the stool casually and put the Sorting Hat on his head. The only thing he saw before the hat covered his eyes was the whole Great Hall, waiting for him to be sorted.

"Ahh, another Riddle," a voice said in his ear, "very interesting indeed. Though not difficult at all. You shall be- SLYTHERIN!"

The last word he shouted out loud. Jonas walked to the Slytherin table and sat down.

"Schellden, Jane!"

The girl who had talked to Jonas earlier broke out of the small line (now composed of five people), and put the hat on her head. Like everyone else, the Sorting Hat went pass her eyes. A moment later, it opened its mouth.

"SLYTHERIN!" it shouted.

Jane stepped off the stool, walked quickly to the Slytherin table, and sat down next to Jonas.

After her came "Thomas, Dean" (GRYFFINDOR!") "Turpin, Lisa," ("RAVENCLAW!"), "Underson, Abir," ("SLYTHERIN!"), "Weasley, Ron," ("GRYFFINDOR!"), and finally "Zabini, Blaise," became a Slytherin.

McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat and the stool away. Jonas looked at Dumbledore as he stood up, his arms wide opened.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!"

Everybody started clapping and cheering, although there wasn't much enthusiasm from the Slytherin table.

"Do you think he's mad?" Jane asked Jonas while clapping.

"Not totally mad, but I would say a bit," Jonas answered back.

She was about to reply when plates of food appeared in the middle of the table. There were mash potatoes, fries, sausages, roast potatoes, boiled potatoes, steak, lamb chops, roast chicken, roast beef, spaghetti, carrots and more. Suddenly realizing how hungry he was, Jonas piled a little bit of everything onto his plate. Everything tasted delicious, even more than Aunt Moritura's cooking (although he didn't think he would ever admit that to her).

"Hungry, are we?" Jane asked him playfully.

As Jonas's mouth was full, he only nodded. After he had swallowed what was in his mouth, he took a big swig of pumpkin juice and gasped for breath.

"I'm just a little hungry," he said.

Jane laughed. For the first time, Jonas put his full attention on her. She had dark, slightly-curvy hair that went past her shoulders and stopped just around the middle of her back. She had a slight line of freckles running across her nose, and her eyes were a deep, warm brown. Her eyelashes were long and of a very fine black colour. She was about a head shorted than him, but she also looked like a very powerful witch.

"Well, if you call having second fillings after only five minutes 'little', then I suppose you are a little hungry."

"'Vat can I s'hay," Jonas responded, no bothering with finishing eating this time.

Jane didn't talk anymore; however, as she had begun eating. They spend the rest of the meal in silence. When everybody had finished eating what they could, desserts appeared. Even though Jonas had refilled his plate three times, he somehow managed to save space for some more. The theme of the conversation across the Great Hall now turned to families.

"Both of my parents are purebloods," a boy Jonas remembered as Draco Malfoy said. "I could never imagined if I was a half-blood, or worse, a mudblood."

"Well, what's wrong with being a half-blood or a muggle-born?" Abir Umderson asked him.

"Like if you would understand," Draco said looking at Abir as though he was someone unworthy of his attention. "I suppose _you _are a half-blood?"

"No, I'm actually a pureblood," Abir retorted.

A light shade of pink appeared on Malfoy's cheeks. He turned around to talk with two other big guys, muttering angrily about Abir.

"Who gives him the right to talk to people as if he was their king?" Jane, who had heard all of the conversation, whispered outraged.

"No idea, but he sounds like a git to me," Jonas said, although deep down, a part of him agreed with what Malfoy had said. He squashed it down and continued to eat his chocolate cake. There weren't any more incidents after that, and about thirty minutes later, the desserts disappeared too. Dumbledore stood up from his chair and looked at everyone with a smile. The hall fell silent almost immediately.

"Ahem — just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Jonas saw his eyes begin directed at a pair of red-haired twins in the Gryffindor table.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

There were a few laughs at this, although Dumbledore looked very serious.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore cried happily. He flicked his wand and a long, golden ribbon shot out of it, curving itself into snakelike words.

"Everyone pick their favourite tune," Dumbledore said, "and off we go!"

The Great Hall roared:

"_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please,_

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filling_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they're bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_So teach us things worth knowing,_

_Bring back what we've forgot,_

_just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

_And learn until our brains all rot."_

The last ones to finish were the Gryffindor twins, who were singing in a slow funeral march kind of way. Still, Dumbledore directed them all the way to the end. When they finished, Dumbledore was one of the people who clapped the hardest.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bed time. Off you trot!"

Jonas, Jane, and the rest of the first years followed their prefects to their dormitories. They went down a couple set of stairs, through some passageways and even deeper down the school. Finally, they stopped at a damp wall.

"Okay, everybody," one of the prefects said, "the password right now is 'Parseltongue'. You shall know if it's changed."

A stone door concealed in the wall slid open. The new Slytherins followed him through. The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in high-backed chairs.

The prefect led them to two black doors at the back of the common room.

"The right door leads to the girl's dormitory, the left to the boy's. Just enter the room that has a one on the door. That will be your dormitory for this year. Goodnight."

Jonas said goodnight to Jane and descended even farther into the castle as he walked down a flight of stairs to find seven doors, each black and with a green number marking whose dormitory it was. He entered the door with the number one on it and found his trunk and Rogier's cage next to the door farthest from the door.

He didn't know how, but Jonas had been able to put his pyjamas on before falling completely sleep on top of his bed.

**AN: Okay, so, my Friday was kind of busy, and I did not have time to write until Saturday ten o'clock at night. I finished this at 2:51 A.M, so I have a reason for any huge mistakes (trust me, the only reason this chapter makes sense at all is because of automatic grammar and spelling check) but right now all I want to do is sleep. Goodnight/morning/afternoon guys!**


	6. A Note

**AN: I don't own Harry Potter, J.K Rowling does.**

Jonas woke up very early the next morning. He took his time before finally getting up and heading into the shower, not really caring if he woke up his classmates. About half an hour later, Jonas was dressed in his school uniform and heading up to the common room. As he had expected, he was the first one awake. The Slytherin common room was empty, and the only sounds were made when Jonas turned the page of his book. Time passed quickly, and next thing Jonas knew, someone was taping his shoulder.

"Are you coming for breakfast?" Jane asked. Jonas shut his book, put it in his backpack, and followed Jane out of the common room.

Finding his classes was not an easy task. There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts; wide, slippery ones; narrow, rickety one; stairs that had a vanishing step you needed to remember; stairs that changed direction depending on which way it was. The doors were also a problem; some were only walls pretending to be doors; others just opened when you tickled them in the right place; and some would only let you open them if you asked politely. But, as Jane suggested after the second time they had arrived late to Transfiguration, it was easier to just ask the paintings were everything was.

The classes were not exactly what Jonas would call simple, but he wouldn't consider them difficult either. McGonagall was the Transfiguration teacher; she was strict, fair, and had the power to silence the whole class with her mere presence. Professor Flitwick taught Charms; he was kind and more laid-back than any other teacher at Hogwarts. Astronomy was taught by Professor Sinistra; they had to study the skies every Wednesday at midnight and they also had to learn the names of constellations and stars. They had Herbology three times a week with Professor Sprout and the Ravenclaws, were they learned all about plants and their uses. History of Magic was taught by Professor Binns, a ghost who would spend the whole class lecturing them in a monotonous voice about goblin wars and such.

Jonas had been really looking forward to Defense against the Dark Arts, but the whole thing turned out to be some kind of joke. Professor Quirrell's classroom smelled strongly of garlic, and it was rumored that it was to ward off a vampire that he had met in Romania and was afraid it would come back to get him one of these days. He wore a purple turban on top of his head, and he had told them that it was a thank-you gift from an African prince whom he had rid of a troublesome zombie. However, when Seamus Finnigan had asked him how he had done it, Quirrell had hastily changed the theme of the conversation to the weather.

Jonas had found out that he was very good at all his classes. He, apart from a girl named Hermione Granger, was the usually the only one who could get a spell right in the first class practicing it. Jonas would most likely get it right in the first try, which gave him a lot of free time, since he would not get homework.

On Friday morning, Jane was already waiting for him at the Slytherin table. Her hair was pulled up on a waterfall braid today, and she was already half-way through her cereal. Jonas sat next to her, reaching out for some sausages.

"Did you sleep-in today?" She asked him.

Jane had quickly become Jonas best friend. Although having a friend seemed a bit weird to him, let alone a best friend who was a girl, they had clicked immediately. They shared many things in common; they both loved the smell of dirt after rain; their favorite foods were onion soup, and their favorite dessert was chocolate ice cream. On Thursday night, Jonas had confessed Jane that he somehow felt a bit right about what Malfoy had said on the first night at Hogwarts.

"I mean," Jonas said, "I don't agree with treating anyone who's not a pureblood like scum, but I just feel like we are a bit better than them. Am I suppose to feel good about that?"

He had been troubled about those feelings. After his mother's disappearance, Aunt Moritura had only told him that half-blood, muggle-borns, squibs, and muggles were not worthy of his attention. However, after her abrupt change, she had not mentioned anything about that. This confused him to no end, and had finally decided to think like he used to. He didn't exactly think he was much better than anyone that was not a pureblood, but there was just something inside of him that made him prefer being a pureblood than a half-blood or muggle-born.

"Well, I do get that feeling sometimes," Jane had said, "but even though I'm a pureblood, my father says that the idea of hating people because of their ancestry is old fashioned."

"I know, I just," he sighed, "I'm just, kind of confused about this."

"Well, I would recommend you not to duel on it too much."

Jonas had done as she had said, and decided to concentrate on his homework instead. That night, Jonas dreamt of the last time he had seen his mother, which explained why he had woken up later than usual.

"Yeah," he simply answered before taking a bite of his food.

"You look pale, are you alright?" Jane said with a hint of worry.

"I'm fine," said Jonas with annoyance.

"Are you sure?" Jane replied.

"I said I'm fine, okay?" he said, raising his voice.

"Well you don't have to snap at me," she said with a cold snare, turning back to her cereal.

"Look, Jane, I'm sorry for the way I talked to you," he said with sincerity a few moments later.

"'S okay," she said, "I'm just a bit worried."

"I'll tell you later," he replied as Draco sat down a few sits away from them.

They ate the rest of their breakfast mostly in silence, only asking each other what their subjects for that day were. About fifteen minutes later, a wave of owls entered the Great Hall, delivering their letters and packages to the correspondent people. Jonas had sent a letter to his aunt the morning after the Sorting Ceremony, telling her that Hogwarts was better than she had revealed and mentioning about being Sorted into Slytherin. She hadn't replied, which was why Jonas felt surprised when he received note without a name.

_Just where you needed to be,_ it read.

Jonas's first thought was that it must have been Aunt Moritura's, but he really couldn't think of a reason of why she wouldn't have put her name.

"Is that from your aunt?" Jane asked.

"No, it doesn't have a name," Jonas said.

"Can I see it?" she said, inching toward him. As a response, Jonas gave her the paper. Jane's eyes quickly scammed trough it. "What does it mean, _just where you need to be_?

"No idea," Jonas answered, "but we should get up, we have Potions in ten minutes."

Jane gave him the strange note, grabbed her stuff, and left the Great Hall with Jonas right next to her. Professor Snape, the head of their house, was the Potions teacher, but neither one of them had met him yet. Many older students from their house had told them that Snape favoured the Slytherins, and, although not exactly eager, they were noxious to meet him.

Two hours later, Jonas was completely sure that Professor Snape could not be anything more than a true Slytherin.

Potions class had started with Snape checking the student list, and ended up with him taking points from Gryffindor and humiliating Harry Potter. There was something that made Jonas think that Snape _hated _Potter. Sure, Jonas might have not befriended Potter, he didn't really know him anyways, but it was not as if he called him names or spoke badly about him like Malfoy did.

With the dream of his mother, Friday had not been as he had expected it to be. Just as he was getting ready to go to sleep, Jonas found another mystery note inside his trunk.

_TMR._

**AN: Hey guys! I am so supermegafoxyawesomehot sorry for the amount of time that it took me to write this chapter. I know that this one is short and kind of lacking in details, but I had a bad writer's block and was still planning out the finer points of this story. This chapter was kind of just an obstacle for me to get to the more interesting parts, and I promise that the next one will be better. **

**koryandrs: Thanks for your support! **

**Outofthisworldgal: I don't want to reveal too much, but there is going to be a great deal about the whole "parseltounge" coming soon.**


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